With Tropical Storm Nate shifting west toward Louisiana, Gov. John Bel Edwards is meeting with the state’s emergency preparedness responders today to discuss the storm and begin preparing for potential impacts.
Edwards is meeting with the Unified Command Group—the state’s strategic decision-making body for emergency and disaster response—at the Governor’s Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness. Officials will provide updates following the meeting at a 4 p.m. press conference.
Nate became a tropical storm this morning, forming off the coast of Nicaragua with maximum sustained winds of 40 miles per hour. The National Weather Service expects the storm will pick up speed as its moves into the Gulf of Mexico Friday night.
“The likelihood of direct impacts to southeast Louisiana and southern Mississippi has increased. Strong winds, heavy rain, and continued elevated tides are possible,” according to the current NWS forecast, which says the storm could reach the Louisiana coast as early as Sunday morning.
